Page 17 of In My Closet

Actually, now that I thought about it, how was my house not on fire from him making breakfast? I mean, stoves weren't that hard to figure out, but still, he could have turned on the wrong knob or left something on and let the gas leak. Good news was that I didn't smell any gas.

"Yes, the others taught me how when I contacted them. Don't worry. I won't be breaking any of your stuff." With a flash of a reassuring smile, Valphan wagged his thin tail at me with a sassy flick before he disappeared completely out of my room.

I must admit, as strange as this all was, it was nice. However, I couldn't help but feel anxious thinking about our conversation last night once he came back. Well, the impending conversation about our relationship going forward really got my nerves on edge.

People don't go back to being buddies after a night like that. Yeah, he's claimed and said numerous times that I was his mate, a claim I've shot down and rejected myself because the notion of it was crazy to me. Also, it felt like a cop-out for a relationship. To be together because we were destined.

As much as I wanted someone to love me in life, I didn't want it to be handed on a platter and be complacent with it. I wanted to be wooed, courted the fuck out of, and trip head over heels for my lover. I didn't want to be a match, said, and done.

Yes, I wanted my relationship to be one of those cheesy, lovey, dopey romance stories I edit time in and time out, like the story I was writing myself as my debut as a published author. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I wanted my love story to be teeth-rotting sweet and spicy like the world's hottest pepper, the ones that instantly have your body on fire to the point where you have to strip and cool off however you can.

"Little blessing? What is on your mind?" Valphan's voice snapped me out of my trance once he reentered the room and sat beside me on the bed.

Sighing heavily, I dragged a tired hand through my bedhead. "Too much… I don't know where to start with us and everything." Groaning softly, I let my hand fall down my face as I stared into space.

The sounds of fabric shuffling along with the soft hit of cold air from my covers being lifted cause me to recenter on reality.

Slipping under the covers, Valphan pulled me into his lap by my waist, and then he snuggled me tightly with a content smile and hum. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this ever since I saw you that first day. To be able to hold you in my arms right now feels like a dream come true." Groaning softly, he nuzzles his face into my hair and neck. "The amount of times I've toyed with the idea of dragging you into the closet to trap you in my arms is more than I care to admit."

"Why didn't you?" He could do such, and last night was a good example of him forcing me into the closet.

"Because I'm not a monster." He replied with a soft huff.

Staying silent for a moment, Valphan breathed me in deeply before sitting up straight against my headboard to look down at me with a strong smile and eyes full of determination. "I may want you more than anything in all the realms, but I also want your reciprocation. I will not force a relationship on you, soulmate or not. I want you to come to accept me and everything with time." Leaning down, he pressed his forehead against mine. "So, even if it means spending forever at your heel like your little mutt, then I will gladly wag my little tail and be at your feet every second of every damn day as long as it means getting you to fall more and more for me until you can't resist me anymore."

"What if I never want you after all that time?" Impossible, but I had to pose the slight possibility.

The thought of being with a demon for the rest of my life seemed daunting, but the more time I spent around Valphan, the more of this strange pull I felt toward him. He may be a creepy, annoying little shit with how he constantly watched me while sitting at the closet entrance, but that was growing on me, slowly.

I could have easily set up my office in one of the other rooms and gotten some peace, but when I thought about doing it, the thought of not having his presence around or his adoring eyes to glimpse at when I needed a break gutted me a little. His creeping has become a comfort of sorts, a safety net. Also, he was a good backseat editor, even if that got annoying quickly; he caught a lot of little nuances I tend to miss regarding certain positioning and things with spice scenes.

His little shadowy touches also grew on me; they weren't inappropriate. They were innocent touches ranging from a hand on the shoulder to arms around my waist and hands on my thighs. If I didn't think much about it, it was no different than having a boyfriend hold me and touch me while I worked.

"Not possible, but I'd still follow you and stay by your side until death." Valphan didn't seem too offended or upset at the question. If anything, he sounded sure things were not happening.

Then, the urge to slap him hit me hard when Valphan smirked smugly at me. "And if last night was any indication of things headed in any direction, I say my chances are good." He snickered softly, leaning in and nipping at my neck playfully.

And, of course, that brought up the matter of last night.

Sighing heavily, I shifted around in his lap until I straddled him and faced him fully. "Last night… We… You never answered my question about us having sex." I fumbled my question out while rubbing the back of my neck a little raw.

Chuckling, Valphan wrapped his arms loosely around my waist, settling his hand at the top of my ass cheeks. "Well, considering how you can still move, I'd say I didn't do a good job if we did make love to each other." He joked with a hearty laugh, earning a few slaps on the chest from me and a soft glare.

Arousal tingled along my body in response to his finger stroking the swell of my bottom cheeks. "Cupcake, you told me no sex, so I was merely respecting your wishes." Bumping his forehead against mine, he forced my gaze to his tender smile. "You weren't in your right mind when you begged me to touch you and give you a release, so I didn't want to take advantage of your heightened state to take you fully."

… Okay, that was too fucking sweet. How the hell is a demon more damn respectful than people in this world? I assure you if I were to fall into the same situation with anyone else, there is a 90% chance they would have taken full advantage of me and then some.

Wow, what a world and time to live in where a demon is better than a human.

Taking in a deep breath, I let my eyes fall down his body, letting myself get lost in the contours of his muscles. At least he wasn't too bad looking for a demon. I mean, looking past the oddly ashen grey skin that was almost sickly pale and the horns… And the claws… He was actually pretty handsome. His body was like a perfect sculpture at the museum, not too bulky, not too lean, just perfectly average. Yeah, he was muscular and built, but it was almost more of an athletic build than a buffed-out bodybuilder.

Slowly, I could feel my cheeks tighten with the spread of my lips as the image of him sleeping on his little makeshift bed in my closet painted itself at the forefront of my mind. Looking over, I could see his neatly made floor bed at the closet entrance, which consisted of my spare blankets and pillows and his all-time favorite, a brindle-colored faux fur blanket.

A gentle turn of my head focused my gaze back on my curious demon. "What's got you smiling?" He inquired with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Your bed, like always." I giggled softly, sticking my tongue out at him. "Are you still going to use it now that you're free from your closet prison?"

The thought of not being able to see him curled and bundled up made my smile sad. It was one of those moments I've come to enjoy from him. A peaceful sight to get lost in during my stressful times or late nights working away on manuscripts, and it was a cute sight to wake up to in the middle of the night. The countless images I've taken of him in such moments would live on my phone forever, but it wasn't the same. Looking at a picture of him didn't bring on the full warmth of appreciation, nor did I feel the entire weight of the gravitational pull toward him.

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